One week ago, the courts of Mongolia sentenced environmental activist and former herder Tsetsegee Munkhbayar and four other members of the “Fire Nation” group to 21-and-a-half years in prison each for “acts of terrorism.”

Mongolian environmental activist Tsetsegee Munkhbayar, who was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2007 for his campaign to protect water sources from mining pollution, was sentenced on Jan. 21 together with four associates to 21 years in prison for “acts of terrorism.”

Friday, January 24, 2014

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (January 23, 2014) – The APU Company, Mongolia’s first national beverage company since 1924, announces the arrival of Soyombo Vodka, produced, distilled, bottled and enjoyed by millions in its homeland.

Mongolia’s Buyanjargal Bold has won a famous victory at the Red Dragon Main Event, after defeating a huge field of 995 players over six days on his way to capturing the title, and collecting the HK$1,492,000 (US $192,404) top prize.

KUWAIT, Jan 23 (KUNA) -- The State of Kuwait's Ambassador to Mongolia, Khaled Al-Fadhli, has held talks with the Mongolian legislator, Luvsantseren Enkh-Amgalan, on means of enhancing ties between Kuwait and Mongolia. The Kuwaiti embassy in Mongolia said in a statement, released on Thursday, that the discussions between the two sides, held in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator, dealt with humanitarian activities by Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in Mongolia, namely its contributions to construction of a building for the Mongolian parliament. Enkh-Amgalan is also the head of the Mongolian side in the Kuwaiti-Mongolian Friendship Committee. Saud Al-Hraiji is the chairman of the Kuwaiti representatives in the joint commission. The embassy statement added that Al-Fadhli and Enkha-Amgalan also pondered means of encouraging reciprocal visits by Kuwaiti and Mongolian lawmakers to the two countries. (end) mjz.rk KUNA 231216 Jan 14NNNN

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The government of Tongliao in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region recently confiscated 214 cars that exceeded the standard for official vehicles, including 188 Audis and 26 imported SUVs, according to Xinhua News Agency.

More than 40 students and alumni from the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University are visiting Mongolia this March, to help them understand the realities of doing business in a fledgling emerging market.

Changes being considered to Mongolia’s minerals law are expected to pave the way to the end of a three and a half year moratorium on new exploration licenses, according to an official from the Ministry of Mining.

The 20th anniversary celebrations of the Macau Poker Cup have come to an end with the Red Dragon trophy heading to a new destination as Mongolia’s Buyanjargal Bold (pictured) claimed an impressive victory overnight.

ULAN BATOR, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Mongolia's export trade in 2013 fell 2.6 percent compared to the previous year as a result of a decrease in coal shipments to China over the period, the country's central bank said.

Dr. Melanie Goble, of Mishicot Veterinary Clinic and Pet Care Center, is planning to travel to Mongolia on a Christian veterinary mission to teach and assist veterinarians and veterinary students in medicine, surgery and business skills.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Ulaanbaatar is the most polluted capital city in the world in terms of PM index, according to a study by Prof. Lodoysamba of the National University of Mongolia, who studies Ulaanbaatar air pollution and runs the UB Air Quality Facebook and Twitter page for regular updates on air quality.

On January 16, 2014, when jointly meeting the press after his talks in Beijing with visiting Foreign Minister Luvsanvandan Bold of Mongolia, Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out that in 2014, China will bring its neighboring countries and even the whole region three important opportunities of "China's reform", "China's initiative", and "China's hosting".

New efforts to improve environmental conditions in Ulaanbaatar are currently underway, with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) set to lend 10 million USD to Mongolian coal producers Sharyn Gol JSC for the development of plants to supply washed coal and smokeless fuel briquettes to Ulaanbaatar.

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, Jan. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sharyn Gol JSC (MSE: SHG) one of the oldest operating coal mines in Mongolia has signed a contract to receive a debt financing package of 10 million USD from EBRD.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/15/14 -- Khan Resources
Inc. (CNSX: KRI) (" Khan" or "the Company") announced today that it has
filed its financial statements and management discussion and analysis
for the year ended September 30, 2013 on Sedar and has posted these
documents to its website www.khanresources.com.

Trade and Development Bank of Mongolia has priced the first renminbi-denominated bonds from the country, raising Rmb700 million ($115 million) at a10.0% yield, a record high coupon for a dim sum offered by a bank issuer.

The series of mergers and acquisitions made by Inner Mongolia-based China Mengniu Dairy in 2013 and its latest announcement about entering a joint venture in China with the US-based WhiteWave Foods are being seen as part of its efforts to expand into the beverage business, reports the Beijing-based China Times (not our sister paper).

Mongolian mountaineers from Up to Top Club, Mongolian Mountain Guides Association, Mongolian Snowboard Federation and Erdenet Hiking Club completed a summit to Asralt Khairkhan Mountain in Tuv Province last weekend.

Authorities in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia have detained five ethnic Mongolian herders who protested the takeover of their grazing lands for development and demanded local officials be democratically elected.

About three years ago, I was staring at a monitor wall of 2 million crowdsourced “clues” to identify archaeological tombs in Mongolia when three people in black suits walked up and stopped in their tracks.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

The series of mergers and acquisitions made by Inner-Mongolia-based China Mengniu Dairy in 2013 and its latest announcement about entering a joint venture in China with the US-based WhiteWave Foods are being seen as part of its efforts to expand into the beverage business, the Beijing-based China Times (not our sister paper) reports.

Jan 14 (Reuters) - China aims to increase its annual railway capacity for coal haulage by around a third by 2020 as part of a new plan aimed at streamlining the way its vast but remote reserves are delivered to consumers, the country's top planning body said on Tuesday.

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Mining giant Rio Tinto on Tuesday confirmed that it had maintained its shareholding in Vancouver-headquartered Turquoise Hill during the company’s rights offering to develop the Oyu Tolgoi copper/gold mine, in Mongolia.

On January 9, the Prime Minister of Mongolia, N.Altankhuyag, introduced plans and projects for 2014 for construction, support for industrialization, improving household income by increasing employment opportunities, and combating corruption and bribery.

Moody’s Investors Service reported on Wednesday that it has changed the ratings outlooks for three Mongolian banks to negative from stable, reflecting intensifying adverse developments in their operating environments.

In an interview with Yo. Manlaibayar, the chairman of the Coordinating Department of Railway and Maritime Policy of the Ministry of Roads and Transportation, we learn more about proposals for the renovation of Ulaanbaatar Railway.

Despite a two year campaign aimed at cleaning the sector and removing all unlawful operations, China has admitted that its rare earth industry still suffers greatly from pollution, smuggling, and illegal mining.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

KEENE — Nestled on a forested slope, Jim Collin and Carol Blakeslee Collin’s modernized yurt is halfway around the world from the steppes of Asia, where nomads make their homes in the portable structures.

ACCORDING to the forecasts of the Economist Intelligence Unit, the world’s five fastest-growing economies in 2014 will be South Sudan, Mongolia, Macau, Sierra Leone and Turkmenistan, as seen in the video above.

VANCOUVER, Jan. 8, 2014 /CNW/ - Altan Rio Minerals Limited ("Altan Rio" or the "Company") announces that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("EBRD") has agreed to provide equity financing to the Company for the furtherance of the Company's Mongolian operations.

SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX: T.SGQ, Stock Forum) says it understands that on or around January 6, 2014, Canadian law firm Siskinds LLP filed a proposed securities class action against the company, certain of its current and former senior officers and directors, and its former auditors.

A senior middle school in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has drawn attention from the public for dividing its dining hall in two areas for male and female students, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

At the end of 2013, the livestock population in Mongolia reached over 45 million with a 10.2 percent annual increase, according to the National Statistical Office of Mongolia (NSOM)’s preliminary report of Livestock Census-2013 released on December 31, 2013.

Six herders in China who tried to defend grazing land from expropriation by a forestry firm have been sentenced in the resource-rich Inner Mongolia region, a lawyer and family members said on Monday, in a case that has sparked protests.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Murun Althankhuyag's professional contract at Krabi FC has made him the first pro footballer from the emerging Asian footballing nation 24-year-old, Murun Altankhuyag, a full international for the Mongolian national team, has signed a two-year professional contract with Thai Division 1 side, Krabi FC.

An indirect coal-to-liquid (CTL) project with a yearly output of 2 million tonnes in north China has been approved by the central government, showing the country's determination to scale up the CTL industry and optimize its energy mix.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, December 30, 2013 /FSC/ - Mongolia Growth Group Ltd. (YAK - TSX Venture),("MGG" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the issuance of 91,179 Restricted Stock Awards ("RSAs") to key members of its senior Mongolian staff as part of their 2013 bonus package.

Chinese authorities in Inner Mongolia have released on bail four ethnic Mongolian herders tried for public order offenses last month after they pleaded guilty, although two activists remain in a local detention center.

Inner Mongolian Baotou Steel Union Co. (600010), a Chinese steelmaker, will raise as much as 29.8 billion yuan ($4.9 billion) in a private share placement to buy assets from its parent and replenish working capital. The stock jumped.

Officials from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex- Im Bank) and MIAT Mongolian Airlines (MIAT) participated in a signing ceremony on December 19 that finalized the export of a U.S. Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with GE engines to MIAT.

On December 30, Inner Mongolia-based Chinese steelmaker Baotou Iron and Steel Co. (Baogang) announced that it plans to issue 8.255 billion shares to its controlling shareholder Baogang Group and six other companies.